Const Amend: No Budget No Pay.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1039

Short Title: Const Amend: No Budget No Pay. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Butler, Price, Morey, and Cervania (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 23, 2026
*H1039-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO AMEND THE CONSTITUTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TO DISALLOW THE 2
COMPENSATION AND ALL OWANCES OF MEMBERS O F THE GENERAL 3
ASSEMBLY FROM THE EN D OF THE FISCAL YEAR UNTIL A BUDGET IS 4
RATIFIED. 5
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 6
SECTION 1.(a) Section 16 of Article II of the North Carolina Constitution reads as 7
rewritten: 8
"Sec. 16. Compensation and allowances. 9
The members and officers of the General Assembly shall receive for their services the 10
compensation and allowances prescribed by law. An increase in the compensation or allowances 11
of members shall become effective at the beginning of the next regular session of the General 12
Assembly following the session at which it was enacted. If the General Assembly fails to ratify 13
by June 30 a comprehensive budget of the anticipated revenue and proposed expenditures of the 14
State for the ensuing fiscal period, the compensation and allowances of the members of the 15
General Assembly from July 1 until the earlier of the ratification of the comprehensive budget or 16
the commencement of the next regular session shall be forfeited." 17
SECTION 1.(b) The amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section shall be 18
submitted to the qualified voters of the State at the statewide general election to be held on 19
November 3, 2026, which election shall be conducted in accordance with the laws governing 20
elections at that time. The question to be used in the voting systems and ballots shall be: 21
"[ ] FOR [ ] AGAINST 22
Constitutional amendment to disallow the annual salary and other allowances for 23
members of the General Assembly if the General Assembly has not passed a budget by June 30 24
of a year for a period beginning July 1 and continuing until a budget is ratified or the term of the 25
Legislature ends, whichever occurs first." 26
SECTION 1.(c) The State Board of Elections shall certify the results of the 27
referendum conducted under subsection (b) of this section. If a majority of votes cast on the 28
question are in favor of the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the Secretary of 29
State shall enroll the amendment among the permanent records of that office. If a majority of 30
votes cast on the question are against the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the 31
amendment shall have no effect. 32
SECTION 1.(d) If the certification from the State Board of Elections under 33
subsection (c) of this section reflects that a majority of votes cast on the question are in favor of 34
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 1039-First Edition
the amendment set out in subsection (a) of this section, the amendment set o ut in subsection (a) 1
of this section is effective upon certification. 2
SECTION 2. This act is effective when it becomes law. 3